Video: Local bookstore takes on Amazon with cover song

Every weekday, PR Daily associate editor Alan Pearcy highlights the day’s most compelling stories and amusing marginalia on the Web in this, #TheDailySpin.

We’re all taught to never judge a book by its cover, but what about a bookstore by its cover song? Judges’ ruling: We’ll allow it. And in this instance, that judgment would be awesome, at least by The Huffington Post‘s standards. That’s its verdict on a cover performed by booksellers Molly and Colin of Common Good Books. Based in St Paul, Minn., and founded by “A Prairie Home Companion” host writer Garrison Keillor, the store posted its rendition of Ricky Nelson and Lorrie Collins’ “Just Because” in hopes of urging customers to buy local during the holidays instead of merely turning to online retailers such as Amazon.

Not to be outdone, Flavorwire lists its selection of the 10 funniest living authors, the likes of comedians such as Steve Martin and Tina Fey discounted.

And while it’s no Amazon, when the Twitter account behind Honest Toddler took on “The Berenstain Bears” in a hilarious chronicle of thoughts on the cherished children’s book series, it may not have anticipated an actual reply from @TheBerenstains themselves. Writer and GalleyCat editor Jason Boog recounts the exchange here.

It’s might be no “Berenstains,” but “Downton Abbey” is quickly becoming an instant classic with American television audiences. According to Reuters, the series scored a PBS record-high rating when 7.9 million viewers tuned in for its season three premiere on Sunday evening.

From the best to the worst: While “YOLO” was recently named The Huffington Post’s worst “word” of the year, there’s at least one party probably glad to hear of its surge in popularity. According to Uproxx, the acronym made infamous by Canadian rapper Drake’s 2011 hit “The Motto” was first trademarked by a restaurant chain bearing the name in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Whereas it’s difficult to decipher precisely which is the absolute worst title abound a plethora of meaningless job titles, a tracking study from Advertising Age shows the number of social media “mavens,” “gurus,” ninjas,” etc., are on the rise, up from 16,000 in 2009 to 181,000 as of Jan. 2013.

Speaking of 2013, PR Couture suggests 10 ways for PR professionals to land new clients in the new year.

In an oddly related story, Slate reports on a father in China who recently hired virtual hit men to assassinate his unemployed 23-year-old son in an online video game so that the young man would grow frustrated with the game and begin putting more effort into finding a job.

If you think that’s crazy, wait until you catch wind of Businessweek’s list of the 10 craziest things employees tried to expense last year. Two words: baby giraffe.

Is there something you think we should include in our next edition of #TheDailySpin? Tweet me @iquotesometimes with your suggestions. Thanks in advance.